I Lived Like a Downton Abbey Character for 3 Days, and Now the Regular World Is Ruined

Somewhere in the English countryside last week, I was wearing a tiara worth an estimated $195,000 and gliding around a palatial manor. I've never been one to care about things like jewelry or clothes, but in that moment I remember thinking, Yup, this feels right. I'm a royal now. But then I had to take the tiara off and return to my humdrum, boring life. In what world is that fair? Where is the justice? Better yet, where is my crown?

Now that I've had a taste for the royal, finer things in life, I never want to go back. My tiara fitting was just one of the many opulent experiences I had while visiting Hampshire and Highclere, England, the historic locations of the Downton Abbey television series and movie, the latter which is released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 17. As you know, the Crawleys aren't royals themselves, but they did host the king and queen of England at Downton in the movie. And Highclere Castle, the setting of Downton Abbey, is itself quite aristocratic, so there really is no better place to first experience living like a lord or lady (except perhaps Buckingham Palace).

Little did I know, though, just how much all this fancy living would go to my head. As I ascended the green hills to Highclere Castle, I physically felt myself moving to a higher tax bracket. My accent became more posh. I suddenly felt the urge to wear a monocle. (Thankfully, that appeared in my pocket, inexplicably. A product of fairies who cater only to rich people, no doubt.)

Of course, I should've known my spirit would change the second I laid eyes on Highclere Castle. The Downton Abbey cast basically told me that just a few hours before. "It's as recognizable as any other iconic building. It's like seeing Carnegie Hall. You don't really get over the house. You just try to absorb it," Michael Fox, who plays Andrew Parker, told me. Added Sophie McShera, who plays Daisy Mason, "It moves you. You can't not feel its presence. [Driving up, I thought], Oh my God, this is incredible. And so beautiful. And so overwhelming."

Equally as overwhelming were the extravagant accommodations waiting for me on the inside, starting with a proper high tea: cakes, little sandwiches, and all the trimmings. After one sip of English tea from an expensive, dainty china glass, I felt ready to dish out biting zingers à la Maggie Smith's character Violet Crawley. By my fifth bite of sandwich, I was scheming ways to get Lady Maud Bagshaw's daughter, Lucy, in my inner circle.

I didn't fully reach my Downton Abbey final form until the next day, when I engaged in a few traditional English activities at a lavish hotel not too far from Highclere Castle. The first, clay-pigeon shooting, may not seem high-class at first⁠—but immediately after doing it, I found myself craving caviar. The nice British gentleman who helped me learn the ropes started calling me "king." It was so weird!

By the time a falcon flew onto my hand, I had morphed into a full-on snob. I called everyone around me "dahhhling" and kept complaining about how my summer home in the Hamptons had an obstructed view of the ocean. I made the executive decision right then and there to legally change my name to Lord Christopher Rosa of Southern Carolina. (I can't change the fact I'm from South Carolina, but damn it, I'll make it sound fancy AF.)

My new rich, royal, and out-of-touch persona hit a fever pitch on the last day of my trip, when I tried on the aforementioned tiara and window-shopped a few of the costumes from the Downton Abbey movie. The beading on one of the garments was so intricate and detailed that my store-bought rags paled in comparison. So I've decided I should burn the clothes in my closet and hire a seamstress to make me a new, custom-made wardrobe. It's what I deserve.

Obviously, I'm kidding with all of this. Visiting the castle and city that inspired Downton Abbey didn't turn me into a crumpet-craving aristocrat from upper-crust London, though I so deeply wish it did. Living like a Crawley, however, did remind me that I can and should indulge in myself whenever I get the chance. We all work hard and deserve some pampering every now and then. Sure, maybe that realistically can't include floating around the English countryside in a tiara, but it can mean taking a bubble bath, splurging on a big-ticket item, or having takeout delivered to your bed and pretending it's room service. Life is just too short to not spend at least a little time living like a duke or duchess—or, in my case, Lord Christopher Rosa of Southern Carolina. (Real talk: Can people please call me that from here on out? Let me have this one thing!)

The Downton Abbey movie is now available on digital platforms and comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on December 17.

Christopher Rosa is the staff entertainment writer at Glamour. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrosa92.

Originally Appeared on Glamour